The next good thing here is Bela Shende’s Mann bhi hai. The song is a beautiful poetry and Bela has sung it beautifully over the simple music. Nothing too high or trying-too-hard. Just simple and lovely so.

Ila Arun’s voice in the beginning of Mora Saiyyan may for once make you doubt the beauty of the song, but as soon as Pt Girish Chattopadhyay enters the song, you know it’s good. But then I felt Ila Arun’s voice is probably not required in the background there. Still, she sings the ‘maari nathni’ part perfectly. A bit of desperate effort, but a good one. Listen and decide for yourself if you are okay with the song.

Tikhi Tikhi Mirch, sung by Kalpana Patowary in the folk version and by Akriti Kakkar in Western version clears one thing for sure, and that is that Monty Sharma cannot do so much with Western arrangements as he can with Indian instruments. Kalpana’s version sounds like a very typical item number but still this is the version I’d prefer. Akruti’s version is simply not it.

And before that, there is one more thing in the album that I quite liked. Kunal Ganjawala, Vaishali Samant and Sharmishtha’s Zindagi tu hi bata seems to have Kunal Ganjawala in the same touch as Guzaarish, mostly because of the lyrics. the song is some good poetry with some beautiful lyrics. The music is decent and singing is good, but the song doesn’t click if you are not into the lyrics of the song. Listen to this one for the positive lyrics.

Overall Mirch is a fine album with some good songs like Shankar’s Badra and Bela’s Mann bhi hai, while Zindagi and Mora Saiyyan aren’t bad. Do listen to the album for Badra and Mann bhi hai.

Got what is that? Start of a good album, and a wonderful song. The album is called Raavan, and the song is, yes, you get that. Beeera. Beera, beera beera beera, beera beera beera beera beera, beera ke dus maathe, beera ke sau naam, chhede jo beera ko, dhama dham dham dham. If there was anything that could ever be compared to beera, it was probably Omkara, but seems Omkara also stays behind beera when it comes to being musical.

arre beera uthti aandhi, beera ek toofaan, saans mein ugle agni jalti jaan jalti jaan beera..
Janm na poochho, jaat na poochho, poochho jo pehchaan beera ka abhimaan hai abhimaan hai abhimaan hai.. Beera..

So u know what we are talking in Beera. Now, though it is difficult to do, we move ahead of Beera n see what lies ahead. The next is Karthik’s behne de, a lyrical feat by Gulzar. But the lines of the song are so long that Rahman, probably in a try to keep the lines intact, lets the song go bland in some places. The song has a good melody that will be liked by anyone who listens to the song enough number of times, but it’s certainly not a song that strikes you immediately, at least not until you devote yourself to hear the lyrics of the song. A horse for longer races, not recommended for 100 meters.

Thok de Killi, the next one, is my favourite yet, not counting Beera which has been there for weeks. The song sung by Sukhwinder Singh along with am’nico sounds like a full-of-masti war-cry. It’s full of circling melodies and the Gulzar’s long lyrics are sung such that they sound like a tongue-twisting maze for the first few times. Only when you master those mazes will you be able to enjoy the song with all your heart but it is likeable from the very first time you hear it.

The next song of the album, Raanjha Raanjha, is a slow one. Instead of saying more about the song, I’d prefer to tell you that the song is sung by Rekha Bharadwaj and suits her voice perfectly. Though the song is quite good, somehow Javed Ali with Rekha Bharadwaj may take some time to digest as Javed Ali seems too polished, straight and simple, with the earthy voice of Rekha, if you understand what I mean. In case you don’t, simply go for the song anyway.

Khili re. That’s the next song of the album that started with Beera beera. Frankly, I’m writing this because it seems that I need to remind myself of this fact after listening to the ever-so-slow-smooth-and-touchy song after that warlike start. A gem.

the last song of Raavan is Kata kata bechara bakra. Strange things: Ila Arun, Sapna Awasthi and Kunal Ganjawala. The set of the three I mean. Also, interestingly, Kunal doesn’t sound much like himself and sounds like one from Rahman’s own men. Anyway, the song doesn’t sound all that good to me. Ila Arun sounds fun but the song is not so fun as I had expected. A not-so-good end to the good album.

Overall, Raavan is good. We don’t have all that variety in the album but in quality makes up for the variety most of the times. Beera is exceptionally beautiful (maybe I’m biased) and Thok de Killi is awesome. Regarding the CD, I could suggest buying the album for Beera alone. Rest is yours to decide.

Behene De – Karthik
Beera Beera – Vijay Prakash
Kata Kata – Ila Arun, Sapna Awasthi & Kunal Ganjawala
Khilli Re – Reena Bhardwaj
Ranjha Ranjha – Rekha Bhardwaj & Javed Ali
Thok De Killi – Sukhwinder Singh

So hopes from the songs of Raavan are high. Check the video of the first song Beera too.

(Okatti rendu moolgu naalgu aidu aaru….)

O meri banno hoshiyar cycle pe sawar chali jaati cinema dekhne ko
(arre chali jaati cinema dekhne ko)
Arre meri banno hoshiyar cycle pe sawar chali jaati cinema dekhne ko
(arre chali jaati cinema dekhne ko)

Uske abba samajhdaar, uske chacha wafadaar
Uski chachi chaukidaar, lage jaise thaanedaar
Unko ullu bana ke thanda paani pila ke
Pyaare banne ke saath, shehzaade ke saath, dulhe raja ke saath, chali jaati cinema dekhne ko
Arre chali jaati cinema dekhne ko

Paani bharne ko na jaati, college padhne ko na jaati
Kasame jhoothi har dum khaati, ungli par sabko nachaati

Pyaar ka chadha usse bukhaar garage mein hoke tyaar
Aankhein karti chaar chaar, gayab har itwaar
Pyaare banne ke saath, shehzaade ke saath, chali jaati cinema dekhne ko
Chali jaati cinema dekhne ko

Meri banno hoshiyar cycle pe sawar chali jaati cinema dekhne ko
Arre chali jaati cinema dekhne ko

O chali jaati cinema dekhne ko – 3

The first song of the album is Meri banno Hoshiyaar sung by Ila Arun (with Daniel B George), who sings her own words on a tune that is almost Saiyyaan Jhoothon ka Bada Sartaj Nikla of V Shantaram’s Do Aankhen Baarah Hath, in a full folk manner, on an orchestration that reminds me of Rahman’s Genda Phool. But frankly, the song is completely new and has it’s identity completely different from both the songs I named here, something not at all easy. Ila is obviously superb in her singing and the Telugu counting in the background (Okkati, Rendu, Moodu, Naalgu…) is something in it’s own ranks. Must listen song.

The second song of the album, Sandesa Sandesa, has Shreya Ghoshal singing the words sun zara sun zara aaya hai pi ka sandesa in her typical sweet voice. Somehow, these words in her voice remind me of Piyu Bole of Parineeta. Something natural with the same singer, same composer, and similar words. But then, the song takes its own turns and new singer Rupankar also takes an entry. The song is a bit fast even with a sugar sweet Shreya and she sounds somewhat like in Tere Naina of CC2C, though slower than that. Overall, the song is the type that sounds okay for the first few times and builds up slowly.

The third song, Hum to apni Bawdi lenge, is sung by Mohit Chauhan and Swanand Kirkire. Wait. Do not expect a typical Mohit Chauhan song there. Instead, it’s a typical Shyam Benegal song, something like Sitaram Sitaram of Welcome to Sajjanpur, though this one looks a a step behind that. Okay to listen. Should be super-fit and enjoyable in the movie.

Rahiman Ishq Ka Dhaaga, the fourth song of the album, is probably going to be one of the best songs sung by Raja Hasan. It’s a slow song with, as you might have guessed, lyrics that are inspired by Rahim’s famous doha and build upon that. The music here has a sufi touch and though Shantanu is not an expert of this type of music, he works pretty well on the song and result is certainly worth a try.

The last track of Well done Abba is Pani ko taraste, which is again a song with a Sufi touch and Rahim there again. Also, the song is sung by Raja Hasan again. This one is quite different and is more movie oriented than general, until you are a staunch supporter of water conservation. Okay song.

Overall, this movie of Shyam Benegal has it’s album as good as you expect his movies to be. The music here is quite movie oriented and will be enjoyed in the movie but try the songs, good chances that you will like some of them even before you watch the movie. Meri banno Hoshiyaar is certainly one of those for me.